A Different Path
by steps15
Summary: Morgana is up to no good again, and it's up to Merlin to stop her. But something different is going to happen this time. Set in Season 4. Merlin/Morgana eventually.
1. It Begins

Merlin sat at the edge of his bed, thinking about his past few years at Camelot. He had fought all sorts of creatures and seen many amazing and terrible things. He had read and re-read his spell books so many times, he could recite every page and spell perfectly without a second thought. With his knowledge of magic, he had saved King Arthur's life countless times.

Ah, Arthur. Merlin had first thought of him as the most idiotic, pig-headed, and selfish prince there ever was. But Arthur had grown to be one of the most honorable knights in Camelot, and he had proven that he would become a just and fair king. Arthur had become Merlin's closest friend, and Merlin would do anything to protect him and fulfill his destiny as Arthur's protector.

Then there was Gaius. Gaius had been Merlin's mentor since his first day at Camelot. He had become the father Merlin had never known. Gaius was always there when Merlin didn't know what to do or when he needed help. Merlin couldn't have made it this far without him.

The knights of Camelot had always been his friends too. There was Gwaine, who had a dangerous hobby of drinking, which put him into debt quite often. Merlin grinned thinking about all the times Gwaine had gotten into trouble over drinking. Next there was Sir Leon, who had been a knight for the longest of them all, and was a trusted advisor and good friend to Arthur. Then there was Lancelot, who was arguably the most courageous and selfless of them all. Finally there was Percival, the muscles of the group, and Elyan, Guinevere's brother.

Guinevere. She was a good friend of Merlin's and was even closer to Arthur. Uther would never approve of their relationship though, because Guinevere was a servant. But now that Arthur was king, he could be with her openly. She had been servant to Morgana for many years.

Merlin's smile faded. Morgana. Uther's ward, the traitor who had left Camelot to conspire with her half-sister, Morgause. The Great Dragon had warned Merlin about her, told him that she would become an enemy of Camelot, but he didn't listen. He had been very close to Morgana, and he had believed that the dragon was mistaken. It turned out he wasn't.

Merlin turned his head at a sudden sound coming from outside. The warning bell. Something was happening.

"Merlin!" came Arthur's voice from across the hall.

Merlin got up from his bed and bolted from the room to Arthur.

* * *

**A/N This is my first ever multi-chaptered fanfiction. Hope you like it. Leave reviews to let me know what you think, and follow if you want to read more! If you like it, spread the word! Tell your friends! Tell your parents! Tell your cat!**


	2. Morgana Arrives

Merlin ran out of the room and saw Arthur running down the corrider.

"Arthur!"

"Come on!" Arthur shouted without looking back.

"What's going on?!" Merlin asked.

"I don't know!"

Merlin sighed and ran after him.

Merlin finally caught up with him in the plaza in front of the castle. Arthur grabbed his arm and led him to the lower town.

When they reached the lower town, they found that everything was in chaos. Houses were on fire, people were screaming and running in every direction, and horses were running wild. Merlin surveyed the scene, trying to figure out what was causing all the chaos. Then he saw a hooded figure walking slowly towards him and Arthur.

_Morgana._

Merlin stared at his old enemy in silence. Arthur, however, was not so calm. His face contorted with rage and he drew his sword. Morgana's eyes glowed gold and Arthur's sword flew out of his hand. Arthur looked down at his now empty hand in surprise, then looked back at Morgana, only to be knocked aside by a flick of Morgana's hand.

Merlin continued to stare at Morgana.

"What, are you not happy to see an old friend?" Morgana said with an evil smile.

"What do you want, Morgana?" Merlin asked.

"I've come to take my place upon the throne of Camelot."

"I won't let you do that," Merlin said, with a determined look on his face.

"And how will you stop me? It's not like you have any power." Morgana laughed.

"No, you're right. I'm just a servant. But I know some people who can stop you."

Morgana looked at him, confused. Then she turned around to find the knights of Camelot right behind her. One of the knights yelled and charged forward. Her eyes started to glow, and she created a spear of pure energy. She thrust her hand forward and the spear flew forward and buried itself deep into the knight's thigh. He screamed then fell forward, unconscious.

Gwaine, one of the knights, ran forward in anger and slashed at Morgana. She managed to lean back just in time, and the sword missed her face by inches. She shouted, her eyes flashing gold, and Gwaine was flung backwards. Morgana was about to cast another spell when a large rock flew off of the ground and hit her in the back of the head. She fell to the ground unconscious, and the knights bound her hands in chains and dragged her to the dungeon.

_I'm glad I used my magic to throw that rock at Morgana; things were getting ugly,_ Merlin thought. _I just hope nobody saw it fly up of its own accord._ He walked over to Arthur and smacked him in the face a few times to wake him up.

Arthur woke up with a start and put his hand to his face.

"Did you just smack me?" he asked in surprise.

"Of course not sire. I was simply brushing some dirt off of your face," Merlin replied.

Arthur looked at him in suspicion, then got up to follow the knights to the dungeons, Merlin following close behind.

* * *

When Arthur and Merlin arrived at the dungeons, they found an unconscious Morgana lying in a cell. Arthur stared at her for a moment, then turned to Merlin.

"Go fetch Gaius for me, Merlin," he said.

Merlin looked at him, confused. "What do you want Gaius for?" he asked.

"I want to see if Gaius knows if there is any way to suppress Morgana's magic. I don't want her waking up and blasting the cell apart."

"Of course, sire." Merlin said as he turned and left the dungeons for his and Gaius' shared dormitory.

Merlin arrived at the dormitory to find Gaius inspecting a vial of a strangely colored liquid, as usual. He was the court physician, after all. Gaius looked up to see Merlin coming in, and immediately put down his vial to walk over to Merlin.

"Merlin! Are you all right? What's happened?" Gaius asked.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. It's Morgana. She attacked the lower town." Merlin replied.

"Where is she now?"

"She's unconscious in a dungeon cell. Arthur wants you down there immediately."

They arrived at the dungeons to find that nothing had changed with Morgana. Gaius walked over to look at her for a second, then turned to Arthur.

"You requested my presence, sire?" he said.

"Yes, Gaius. I was wondering if there was any way to suppress Morgana's magic."

Gaius turned back to Morgana and thought about it for a moment.

"Yes, I believe there is. There is a unique mixture that was used in the days of the Old Religion that suppressed the magical abilities of anyone who betrayed the High Priestess." Gaius answered.

"Good. I need you to make one of these potions as quickly as possible." Arthur said.

"Sire, it may take quite a while to create this mixture. The ingredients are quite rare."

"All right. Bring some sleeping draught to make sure Morgana doesn't wake up."

"Of course sire." Gaius bowed his head, then walked to the exit, gesturing for Merlin to follow. Merlin, wondering about this special potion, followed in confusion.

* * *

Merlin and Gaius returned to the dormitory. Merlin, shut the door behind him, then turned to Gaius.

"Gaius, I've never heard of any potion like this," he said.

"Yes, Merlin. That's because there is no such potion," Gaius replied.

"But why-"

"Merlin. There is a spell in an old book I have that can in fact suppress one's magical abilities. I made up the potion because we can't very well suggest magic, can we?"

"I suppose not. Where is this book you mentioned?" Merlin asked.

"It's up there, somewhere in the top of the bookshelf. It's titled, 'Advanced Charms and Curses,'" Gaius said, turning to his worktable to begin working on the sleeping draught.

Merlin looked up at the second floor and at how high up the bookshelves were. He sighed, then climbed the steps to begin his long search for the book.


	3. Magic Suppression

Merlin finally found the spell after hours of searching for the book and a couple more hours spent flipping through the pages to find the spell he needed. It was already close to midnight, and he was exhausted. He studied the spell, hardly believing he had finally found it after so long. Then, when he was sure it was the correct spell, he leaned back onto his bed and sighed in exhaustion. Then he realized he still had to memorize the spell and use it on Morgana.

Merlin groaned and sat up and began to memorize the spell. When he had the spell completely memorized, he closed the book, hid it under his bed with his other books, and made his way out of his chambers.

On his way out, he grabbed a vial of water to use as the 'magic suppressing potion.' He stopped at the door and thought about just going to his room and collapsing onto tho bed. Then he remembered how dangerous Morgana was, decided against it, and made his way to the dungeons.

He descended the spiral staircase to the dungeon entrance, and was stopped by the guards. They blocked the doorway and crossed their spears.

"Halt! What business do you have in the dungeons?" one of the guards asked.

"I'm here on business for the King," Merlin replied.

"You may pass." The guards uncrossed their spears and stepped to the side.

Merlin continued through the doorway to Morgana's cell. He was surprised to see Arthur sitting on a chair by the cell, staring intently at Morgana's still unconscious form.

"I have the potion, Arthur," Merlin said as he approached his longtime friend.

"Good. Go ahead and give it to her," Arthur said as he unlocked the cell door.

Merlin walked slowly into the cell. He was being careful, in case Morgana was faking her unconscious state. As Merlin got closer, though, he saw that she really was unconscious. _The sleeping draught must have worked well, _he thought.

He bent down next to her and took out the vial of water. He made sure his back was to Arthur, so he didn't see Merlin's eyes glow as he performed the spell. Merlin looked back at Arthur, who gestured for him to proceed. He turned back to Morgana, and tilted her head so that her mouth was slightly open. He started to cast the spell, and as he did, he poured the water into Morgana's mouth. When he had finished, he put the empty vial back into his pouch and stood up. He walked out of the cell, then pulled up a chair next to Arthur.

They sat in silence for a long time, studying Morgana. Then Merlin finally asked, "Arthur, how long have you been down here?"

"Ever since she was first brought in," he replied.

"Why have you been here so long?"

"I was just thinking about how much she has changed. She was my dearest friend throughout my life. We played together as children and were always teasing each other. A few years ago, I would have trusted her with anything. Now, her mind has been twisted and warped by Morgause."

The sadness was clear in Arthur's voice as he spoke, and his eyes were slightly wet.

Another period of silence followed. Merlin sat thinking about Morgana. When he first came to Camelot, Morgana treated him like a friend. A good friend. Merlin had always thought she was one of the kindest people ever. When the Great Dragon had told him that she would become the biggest enemy of Camelot, Merlin had ignored him. But ever since Morgause found Morgana and spent an entire year warping her mind and turning her against Camelot, it had all changed.

Morgause. Morgana's evil half-sister. She had first arrived in Camelot in the guise of a challenging knight. She had a chance to kill Uther in a duel, but she let him live. It was only to win Morgana's favor. She also gave Morgana a healing bracelet to prevent some of Morgana's prophetic nightmares. Eventually, Morgause would brainwash her so much that she became the hate-filled sorceress she is today.

Merlin spoke up. "You look exhausted, Arthur. You should get some rest. I'll watch over her, don't worry." Arthur turned to him, eyes bloodshot. He really was tired.

"All right. Thank you, Merlin." He got up, put his hand on Merlin's shoulder, then walked out slowly.

Merlin watched him go, thinking about how close he had really been to Morgana. He turned back to Morgana, and was startled to see her attempting to sit up, groaning as she rubbed her head on the spot where the rock hit her.

She looked around, dazed. Then got up quickly when she realized she was in a cell. She turned to Merlin and tried to use her magic to blast open the door. She thrust her hand out, and her eyes glowed dimly for a second, then faded. She looked at her hand in confusion, then tried to use her magic again. Her eyes flashed dimly for barely a second, and faded again. She looked around frantically, then threw her hands up in rage.

"Gahhhhhh!" she shouted.

She turned to Merlin, filled with rage.

"What have you done to me Merlin!" she screamed.

"Hello, Morgana."


	4. Different Views

"What have you done?!" Morgana shouted again.

"I suppressed your magic. Don't even think about trying to escape now."

"Ugh!" Morgana threw up her hands and started pacing, trying to figure out a way to get her magic back. Then, she had a sudden thought. She stopped pacing and turned slowly to Merlin.

"How did you suppress my magic? You do not have the power to do such a thing," she said.

Merlin's eyes flickered nervously for barely half a second, but Morgana saw it. She wondered why he was nervous.

"Gaius figured out a potion that suppresses magical abilities," Merlin said, trying to convince her.

"Ah yes, Gaius. I should have guessed that old fool would have something to do with this," Morgana said through gritted teeth.

"Enough about your magic. Why did you come here, Morgana?" Merlin asked forcefully.

"I already told you. To take my place upon the throne of Camelot," she said, head held high.

"The throne does not belong to you. It is Arthur's and Arthur's alone."

"I have as much right to the throne as he does!" Morgana shouted.

"Arthur is a fair and honorable king! He treats everyone equally and isn't bound by tradition."

"And what about people with magic? Hm? Does he treat them equally?!"

"Arthur is not like his father," Merlin said warily.

"Arthur shuns and puts away everyone with magic. He is just much of a tyrant as Uther was," Morgana said angrily.

"Maybe he wouldn't be so set against magic if you weren't killing his knights and attack Camelot all of the time!" Merlin yelled.

"You don't know what it's like, Merlin. You don't know what it's like to have to be ashamed of who you are, to hide what you can truly do. You don't know what it's like to be afraid of being killed just for who you are. You know nothing."

Merlin turned away, a pained expression on his face. _If only she knew,_ he thought. Morgana looked at him curiously. First his nervous eyes, and now his expression. _What is he hiding? _Morgana thought.

Merlin quickly turned back to Morgana, his face an expressionless mask.

"Why are you so hateful, Morgana?" he asked suddenly.

Morgana was taken aback by his sudden question. She didn't quite know the answer either.

"I'm just trying to return magic back to the world. That would have never happened with Uther on the throne, so I killed him. Now it's Arthur's turn," she said, unsure of herself.

"Again, magic might not be so feared if you didn't go attacking Camelot. What if, what if you used your magic to help Arthur? He trusted you, Morgana. What if you used your magic for good? Would it still be forbidden? I really don't think it would be."

Merlin got up from his chair, gave Morgana one last look, then walked away.

Morgana sat in her cell, still as a statue. She watched Merlin go, a shocked expression on her face. She thought about his words the rest of the night. After several hours of thinking, she finally fell asleep.

* * *

_Morgana sat in her cell, staring at the wall. There was a strange clanging noise at the door, and she turned to see what it was. It was a ring of keys. Someone was unlocking her cage. The door swung open, and a guard immediately entered and led Morgana out. The guard gently pushed her out the door, gesturing for her to move forward. She looked at him suspiciously, wondering what was going on. He gestured again._

_Morgana warily took a step forward. Then another step. She was walking out of the dungeon, towards the staircase. Arthur and Merlin were waiting for her. Arthur smiled at her, and Merlin stood there with his signature goofy grin. She wondered what was going on._

"Morgana," Arthur said in a distorted voice. "Welcome home."

The dreamed warped out of existence and Morgana sat up, wide awake.

_What the hell was that all about?_

* * *

**A/N Thank for the follows and all the reviews! Will continue to write as much as I can, and please, tell your friends if you like the story. Have them read it too.** **:D**


	5. Messing With Merlin

Arthur sat in his chambers, staring out the window, resting his chin on his hand. The morning sun was intensely bright, but Arthur hardly noticed. He was too deep in thought.

The door to his chambers opened. Merlin entered, carrying a tray of sausage, eggs, and other mouth-watering breakfast foods.

"Good morning, sire. I have your breakfast," Merlin said as he set the tray of food down on the small dining table.

"Thank you, Merlin," Arthur said absently, still staring out the window.

Merlin looked up from arranging the breakfast.

"Is something wrong, Arthur?" he asked.

Arthur twisted around in his chair to look over at Merlin.

"Do you think Morgana is truly evil?" he asked seriously.

"No," Merlin replied instantly.

"I don't think so, either," Arthur said.

"Morgause twisted her mind, I know she did," Arthur continued. "Morgana was never a bad person."

"I agree. But do you really think we can make Morgana right again?"

Arthur looked at him in surprise. "How did you..?"

"Oh come on, Arthur. I've known you for years. I know about you. I know how you think."

Arthur looked at him with the 'Merlin's being weird' face.

"Erm..."

"What?" Merlin asked innocently.

"Nothing..." Arthur mumbled.

"But yes, I do believe that we can return Morgana back to the way she was," Arthur continued.

"How do you propose we do that?"

Arthur turned back to look out the window.

"I don't know. I'm going down to the dungeons later. Tell the knights that training is canceled for the day," Arthur said.

"So, am I off for the day as well?" Merlin asked casually.

"Yes, of course." Merlin looked at him in relief. "Right after you polish my armor, sharpen my sword, clean my boots, and wash my clothes," Arthur said with a smile.

Merlin's face quickly changed to one of pure exhaustion. He walked slowly out of the chambers, making his way to the barracks.

Merlin arrived at the barracks to find the knights huddled around and sitting on the beds, feet up without caring about the cleanliness of the bedsheets. Merlin walked over and pointed at their feet.

"Hey! Get your filthy feet off of those bedsheets. I've already got enough to do," Merlin said.

"Oh you mean _these _bedsheets?"

Gwaine pulled off the bedsheet wrapped it around his foot, and started to move it back and forth.

"I thought it was a dirt remover," Gwaine said with a smile.

The other knights, who had busied themselves cleaning their feet with the sheets, looked up in mock surprise.

"Oh, Merlin. I am so, so sorry," Sir Leon said, his face a mask of apology.

"Yes, they just looked exactly like washing rags," Elyan said.

"Here you go, Merlin," Percival said as he handed him the dirty sheet.

The knights all handed their dirty sheets to Merlin, and Merlin almost passed out from the smell. _They need to wash their feet, _he thought.

"Anyways," Merlin said, trying not to gag. "Arthur says there will be no training today."

The knights all looked disappointed.

"Why is it canceled?" Elyan asked.

"Morgana," Merlin said shortly.

"Oh, ok..." Elyan said slowly.

"Now, go back to whatever it is you knights talk about," Merlin said as he walked out of the barracks, setting out to finish his tasks.

Guinivere stood in her small cottage, looking out the window. She had just finished eating her homemade dinner of a small cooked poultry and some vegetables. She stood there thinking about Morgana. She had seen the guards dragging her to the dungeons late last night. She didn't know what was happening then, and she didn't know now. _How could Morgana be so easily subdued? _She thought.

She stood thinking for a moment longer, then made up her mind. She was going to go see Morgana.


	6. The Plans

Guinivere went to Arthur first. She arrived at his chambers shortly after Melin left. She walked up the door, took a deep breath, and knocked.

"Enter," came Arthur's voice from inside.

Guinivere slowly opened the huge door and walked inside. Arthur, who was still looking out the window, turned in his chair. His face lit up with a smile when he saw who it was.

"Ah, Gwen. It's good to see you," he said happily.

Gwen smiled and walked over to him.

"It's good to see you too, Arthur. Are you ok?" she asked, resting her hand on his shoulder

"Yes, yes, I'm fine. I'm just thinking about Morgana," Arthur said, resting his hand on top of hers.

"I saw the guards dragging her to the dungeons last night. What happened? Did you get hurt?" she asked, full of worry.

"I'm fine, Gwen." Arthur looked back out the window and said, "We found Morgana setting fire to the lower town. She managed to injure Sir John, but other than that and some damage to a few buildings, there were no major damages."

Gwen let out a sigh of relief. She had been worried that Arthur had been hurt, or that there had even been casualties.

"I'm sorry I scared you," Arthur said genuinely.

"It's fine, it's fine. I just worry about you, that's all," Gwen said.

"Well, I'm glad I have someone that worries about me," Arthur said with a smile.

Gwen smiled at him, and leaned down to kiss Arthur. Arthur tilted his head to meet the kiss, and they shared a few moments of affection. After they were finished, Gwen looked at Arthur, trying to prepare her words.

"Is something troubling you?" Arthur asked.

"No it's just...I wanted to see Morgana," Gwen said slowly.

Arthur looked at her curiously for a moment, then asked, "Why?"

"I know this may sound crazy, but...I want Morgana to see the light again."

Arthur was shocked for a moment. He turned around to look at Guinivere and stood up.

"Really? Merlin and I were thinking the same thing," Arthur said, baffled.

"That's weird," Gwen said with a frown. "How would we go about doing such a thing though?"

"That part I haven't figured out yet," Arthur admitted.

"Let's have a dinner tonight. You, me, and Merlin. At my house. We'll figure out what to do," Gwen said, mind set.

"Alright, but Guinivere?"

"Yes, Arthur?"

"I'm cooking the dinner," Arthur said, chest puffing out, head held high.

"We both know that won't work out well," Gwen said with a laugh as she walked out the room.

Arthur stared after her, somewhat deflated.

"I can cook..." he grumbled as he went over to his desk to do the royal paperwork that he enjoyed so very much.

* * *

Merlin was sitting on his bed flipping through the pages of the spellbook he used earlier, reading about the suppression spell. The sun was already low in the sky, and Merlin still had not done his chores. It took him a long time to wash the dirt and stink out of those bedsheets. Arthur's sword was floating in the air, being sharpened by a stone that moved itself; his armor was floating in the air, being polished with no help from any person; some of his clothes were being dipped into a tub of water in the corner, the rest were being wringing themselves out over another tub to the side.

The door to Merlin's room opened, and everything instantly stopped and fell to the ground. Gaius walked in, looking at the mess of objects. Merlin smiled at him innocently.

"Merlin! Were you using magic to finish your chores?" Gaius asked suspiciously.

"Er, no, of course not," Merlin said unconvincingly.

"Merlin, you know what I've told you about using magic to do your duties," Gaius said accusingly.

"I know, I know, I just needed to read more about the suppression spell. And anyways, I'm exhausted from de-knighting those bedsheets," Merlin explained.

Gaius sighed. "Alright," he said. "Anyways, Arthur requests you in his chambers."

"What for?" Merlin asked.

"I don't know."

Merlin slowly got up, groaning as his bones creaked and popped. He stood there stretching, bending his back in every possible direction.

"Come on, Merlin. Arthur said it was urgent," Gaius said.

"Alright, alright, I'm going," Merlin said as he left the chambers.

Merlin arrived at Arthur's chambers 5 minutes later. He raised his hand to knock on Arthur's chamber door. Before he could knock, Arthur opened the door.

"Come on," Arthur said, brushing past Merlin.

Merlin looked at Arthur walking down the hallway, wondering where he was going.

"Alright then..." he said under his breath, starting after Arthur.

As they were walking through the lower town, Merlin turned to Arthur and asked, "Where are we going?"

Arthur continued walking, not saying a word. A few minutes later, Arthur turned off the road towards a small house. There were soft lights coming from inside. Arthur walked up to the door and knocked softly. There were a few clanging noises from inside, and the door opened a few moments later. Guinivere appeared in the doorway, smiling and gesturing for them to enter.

Arthur turned to Merlin with a grin on his face.

"Dinner at Gwen's."

* * *

While Merlin, Arthur, and Gwen were having dinner and discussing Morgana's fate, Morgana sat in her cell, still thinking about her vision. She was rocking back and forth, eyes closed, hands over her ears. She had recently discovered that visions would come to her even if she wasn't asleep; she just had to block out all other sights and sounds, focusing on getting a vision.

No luck so far.

"Ugh!" she said in frustration. "Why am I not getting any visions?!"

Morgana heard voices coming from the dungeon entrance. Someone was entering the dungeons.

She heard footsteps coming towards her cell, and looked up to see Agravaine walking towards her. She watched him approach her cell and put his face close to the bars.

"Well well, who do we have here." he said, feigning disgust.

"Agravaine," Morgana said coolly.

"I see you failed your attack on the town," Agravaine said, still with mock disdain.

"Yes, what of it?" Morgana said defiantly.

Agravaine looked over his shoulder to make sure then guards weren't paying attention, then turned back to Morgana, leaning in closer.

"What were you thinking?" Agravaine whispered.

"I don't need to explain myself to you," Morgana said bitterly.

Agravaine sighed. "Morgana," he said. "I'm on your side. I give you information from the heart of Camelot. Why do you not trust me?"

"You were not loyal to Arthur. How do I know you will stay loyal to me? After all, you gain nothing from me being locked away in a cell," Morgana said.

"Which is why I'm going to release you," he said quietly.

Morgana looked quickly at the guards, then back to Agravaine.

"Not now, of course," she said.

"Of course not. We need to plan your escape perfectly. We can't have us both getting caught and put in the dungeons."

"But how will we escape? My magic isn't working. I was apparently given a potion that suppresses it," Morgana said angrily.

"Who created this potion?" Agravaine asked carefully.

"Gaius."

"Gaius..." he said slowly.

"Well, it seems I will be paying Gaius a little visit," Agravaine said with a smirk.

Agravaine turned away and left the dungeon. Morgana watched him go, wondering if he would succeed in learning about the blocking of her magic. She turned back to face her cell and sat down, putting her hands over her ears and closing her eyes.

She needed to know what that vision was about.


	7. Questions and Answers

A couple hours after Agravaine's visit to the dungeons, Gaius was sitting in his chambers, in his favorite armchair. He was looking down at his physician's journal, reading through the pages, his spectacles resting lightly on his nose. It was nearly midnight.

There was a knocking at the door, and Gaius looked up over his spectacles at the door. He sighed and slowly stood up, groaning softly. _I'm really getting old, _he thought. He walked slowly to the door and opened it.

"Agravaine," he said.

"Hello, Gaius. I hope I didn't wake you," Agravaine said.

"No, I was just reading through my books. What do you need?" Gaius asked, gesturing for Agravaine to enter.

Agravaine walked into the chambers, Gaius shutting the door behind him. He turned to the old physician, arms behind his back.

"I understand you blocked Morgana's abilities," he said casually.

"Yes," Gaius said, removing his spectacles and setting them on the table.

"How exactly did you do this? I would have liked to know how we could stop her a few months ago, when she attacked our patrol at the border of Cenred's kingdom," Agravaine said, slowly pacing the room.

"There is a special mixture that I discovered recently. It could not have been used when fighting Morgana; it is a potion to drink, after all," Gaius said slowly.

"Ah, yes... Is there any way to remove the potion's effects? We don't want her regaining her magic," Agravaine said casually.

Gaius stared at him for a moment, then said, "Naturally, the potion wears off after a while. But to remove it from the bloodstream while it's active? There is not a method I know of to do such a thing. There are some potions that amplify magical ability, but there is no such potion that gives the drinker magic."

"Are you sure?" Agravaine pressed on.

"Yes, I am sure. Now please, leave me be. It's nearly midnight, and I'm an old man. I need my sleep."

Agravaine looked around the room for any potion that might have been stood out. He saw nothing of interest.

"Alright. I'm sorry to have disturbed you at such an hour," Agravaine said, turning to leave.

_So, there are potions that amplify magic? Interesting..._

Gaius watched him go. He let out a deep sigh as Agravaine closed the door. He stood thinking for a moment, then retrieved his spectacles. He walked over to his large bookshelf, staring up at the rows of old books. "Time to see if there really is a way to regain magic_," _he sighed, suddenly feeling very exhausted.

* * *

Merlin was on his way back from Gwen's, when he noticed a figure leaving from the direction of his chambers. He ran up quietly behind the figure, crouching down behind a column. He squinted, trying to determine who it was. The groomed, black hair gave it away; it was Agravaine.

Merlin waited for a few seconds for Agravaine to round a corner, coat flapping behind him. He then moved up to another column, making sure he wasn't seen or heard. He followed closely behind for several minutes before arriving at the entrance to the dungeons. _What is he up to? _Merlin thought.

Agravaine reached the railing of the staircase and looked down at the two guards sitting at their small table at the bottom of the stairs, playing dice. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bag with a long string attatched to it. He lifted his cloak to his nose and opened the bag slightly. Agravaine then unrolled the string, slowly lowering the bag down to the floor next to the guards.

The bag of powerful smelling salts began to emit a nearly invisible vapor. The gas began to creep its way towards the guards. The guards' heads began to roll, and they passed out, slumping over the table, dice rolling out of their hands.

Agravaine smiled grimly, then began to descend the staircase to the cells. Cloak still held over his face like a mask, he walked quickly into the cell area, closing the door behind him. Merlin crept down the stairs, holding his sleeve to his nose. He snuck towards the closed door, crouching down; he could hear muffled voices coming from the other side of the door. He cast a quick hearing spell and put his ear to the door.

"-visited Gaius," came Agravaine's voice.

"What could he have possibly said that was important enough to interrupt me? I was in the middle of something important," Morgana said bitterly.

"I asked Gaius about the potion he used to suppress your magic. He told me that there was no way to reverse the effects," Agravaine said. "But he was acting very suspicious. He also spoke of potions to amplify magical abilities," he added.

There was silence for a few moments, then came Morgana's voice, "Never mind those potions. They wouldn't help. I've been thinking about this 'suppressor' that was given to me. I have never heard of any sort of mixture that can block magic. Morgause was an expert on all types of potions; she would have mentioned a potion like this," Morgana said thoughtfully. "Although, I have heard of complex spells that were used to remove magic from traitors in the days of the Old Religion."

"What are you suggesting?" Agravaine asked curiously. Merlin's breathing slowly increased as he listened to Morgana's words.

"The only way my magic could have been suppressed is by using magic itself. There is a sorcerer in Camelot. And they had access to me very recently."

Morgana's head snapped towards the door. She heard a muffled gasp from outside the door.

"And it seems they may be just outside the door."

Agravaine turned to look at the door, then at Morgana, then at the door again. He sprinted towards the door and flung it open.

But Merlin was already gone.

* * *

**A/N Well, things are finally starting to get interesting, eh? They now know that Morgana was blocked using magic. Will they find out who the sorcerer is? Who knows? We'll just have to wait and see. :)**


	8. Discoveries

Gaius was once again sitting in his chair, reading from an old book that he had acquired when he had practiced magic. It had everything about magic in it, from where it comes from to how to harness it properly. The door flung open, and Merlin burst through, panting. He backed up into the door, closing it, and leaned against it, out of breath.

"Merlin!" Gaius exclaimed.

Merlin held up a finger, signaling for Gaius to wait. He stood there breathing heavily for a few seconds, then said, "Gaius, Morgana knows."

"Knows what?"

"She knows that magic was used to cut off her powers. And she knows it was someone who had access to her in the dungeons." Merlin began pacing around the room, wringing his hands nervously.

Gaius sat with his mouth open for a moment, processing what he was saying.

"How do you know this?" Gaius asked skeptically.

"I followed Agravaine down to the dungeons just minutes ago. I overheard him talking to Morgana about his conversation with you about the suppressor potion. Did he visit you earlier?" Before Gaius could respond Merlin continued hurriedly. "Morgana said Morgause had never told her of any potion of the sort, and Morgause was a master at potions. Then she went on to mention a spell that removes magic from traitors of the Old Religion. Gaius, she knows it was magic!"

"Slow down, Merlin. She still doesn't know it was you," Gaius said, trying to calm him.

"But there have only been a few people to her cell! Arthur, the servants that bring food to her, the guards, and me. That narrows it down far too much! What do I do, Gaius?" Merlin said nervously.

"Merlin, listen carefully. You must not give any hint that you might be the one who performed the spell. There is still a chance that she will not find out that it is you. You can't say anything about her magic being cut off, and if you do, be very careful you don't say too much. This is a very delicate situation."

Merlin continued pacing, running his hands through his hair. Then an idea struck him.

"What if I just wipe her memory of tonight? That would fix it, right?"

"Merlin, you cannot risk being discovered. She already suspects you. If you attempt this and fail, she will know who you truly are. That must not happen. You just have to lie low."

"Ugh!" Merlin said in frustration.

"I know, Merlin. Just go to bed, we'll deal with it tomorrow. Alright?" Gaius said gently.

"Fine," Merlin sighed, walking towards his bedroom.

"Merlin?" Gaius called after him.

"Yes?" he said, turning around.

"Don't do anything foolish."

* * *

After Agravaine had returned from his brief search for the person who had been listening to their conversation, Morgana had told him of a sorcerer who lived in the forest on the outskirts of Essetir, Cenred's former kingdom. This sorcerer may be able to regain Morgana's magic. The sorcerer is a servant to the Disir, and knows many things about magic and complicated incantations.

After Agravaine's visit, Morgana continued to meditate, trying desperately to have another vision, while simultaneously trying to determine who it was that blocked her magic. After half an hour of doing this, she gasped and opened her eyes. They were glowing gold.

_Morgana was running through the forest as fast as she could. The sun was setting, and the light was fading fast. She could hear the fast beating of her heart, the ragged panting of her breath. She looked behind her fearfully, hearing the trampling of many feet in the near distance. She veered off to the side, changing direction, leaving the pursuers to run past her. She ran another twenty feet, only to be stopped by a figure that seemingly appeared out of nowhere. She shouted at the figure, eyes flashing gold, and they were thrown backwards. The figure groaned and regained his footing. They looked at Morgana in surprise. _How did you..? But your magic was gone! _came an old man's voice._

_Morgana looked at the man closely. She gasped as she realized who it was. It was Emrys; her destiny, her doom._

Morgana snapped out of her vision, trembling as she realized what she had just seen. She had regained her magic somehow, and Emrys had been there to stop her escape. "Of course_," _she whispered. "Of course it was Emrys! Who else could have suppressed my powers? But I still don't know who he really is! There is no man in Camelot that looks like the Emrys I've seen, so that form must be a disguise. It must be someone close to Arthur for them to have access to my cell."

She thought about who it could be up until the moment she fell asleep. She decided that Emrys would turn up eventually, but in their real form; she would just have to try discover who it was for herself. She would also have Agravaine ask around about the name Emrys. She would discover who Emrys truly was.

No matter what the cost.


	9. Arthur's Conflict

The next morning after Morgana's vision, a young girl servant was carrying a tray of a small meal consisting of a slice of bread, an apple, and a couple pieces of sausage. They were making their way down to the dungeons when someone gently grabbed their arm. A young man had stopped the servant.

"I'll take care of that," he said, gently taking the tray from her hands. He smiled kindly, then gestured for her to be dismissed.

The young girl blushed slightly, bowed, and hurried off. The young man watched her go, then turned to continue on to the dungeons.

King Arthur of Camelot arrived at the dungeons shortly afterwards. He descended the spiral staircase, heading towards the door of the cell block. He nodded to the guards at their table, who nodded back, then continued their conversation. Arthur approached the wooden door of the cell block, took a deep breath, and entered.

He made his way to Morgana's cell, boots padding softly on the stone he approached the cell, he opened the observation grate on the door and saw that Morgana was still asleep. The sun had been up for only a couple of hours. He walked up to the cell door and looked inside through the bars. She looked so innocent, as if she hadn't become the hate-filled woman she now was. He heard her muttering something, so quiet he could barely hear it. He leaned in closer, straining to hear what she was saying.

_Emrys, _she muttered. _Emrys._ Her voice was barely audible.

"Emrys?" Arthur said to himself, filing away the name for later.

Morgana suddenly bolted upright, instantly awake. Arthur jumped in surprise. Somehow, she had heard him, even though he had barely whispered the name. She immediately backed away from the door, pressing herself against the back wall.

"Arthur," she said bitterly.

"Morgana," he said, straightening.

"What do you want?" she demanded. "Are you going to interrogate me? Torture me? Or will you have your guards get their hands dirty for you?"

"I brought you breakfast," he answered, sliding open a small hatch and pushing the plate of food through. "I also brought this. I didn't think one was enough," he said, placing another apple onto the tray.

She looked at him suspiciously, then warily took the tray, backing away again quickly. She picked up an apple, looked at it, then threw it at the door. It slammed into the metal, creating a loud bang. "Is everything all right in there?" came a guards voice.

"Everything's fine," Arthur replied, staring at the apple rolling away from the door.

"I don't need your food," Morgana spat at him.

"Well, that's all your going to get this morning, so you'd better eat up," Arthur said.

Morgana glared at him for a second, then looked down at the plate on the ground in front of her. Her stomach rumble loudly, and she realized just how hungry she was. She hadn't eaten since the day she was captured.

She scrambled quickly over to the apple she threw, brushing it off. She bit into it, chewing for barely a second before taking another bite. Within, the minute, the only thing left of the apple was the core, with no trace of flesh left. She quickly went to her plate, grabbing the bread and taking a bite. She deliberately slowed down her eating, restraining herself with difficulty.

Arthur watched in amusement, a smile grin coming across his face. When Morgana was hungry, he knew, no force on Earth could keep her from food; not even her strong pride. And by the gods, she was hungry.

Morgana suddenly looked up from devouring her food. She eyed Arthur warily, then asked, "Why are you doing this?"

"I always cared for you, Morgana, as if you were my sister. Of course, I didn't know that you actually were my sister yet, but that's besides the point. And I understand Morgana. I know why you hated Uther; he would have had your head if he found out you have magic. But there is no reason for you to attack my knights and my people."

"There is every reason," Morgana replied quickly. "If I am not upon the throne of Camelot, then magic will never be accepted. My kind were hunted down and slaughtered like animals. _Our father_ killed thousands of people who had done nothing wrong!" she said angrily.

"I know what Uther did was wrong, but I am not my father," Arthur said defensively.

"Are you sure? Then why are druid camps being destroyed, women murdered, and children killed in cold blood for no reason other than practicing magic!" she shouted.

"People have attacked Camelot countless times with magic. _That_ is why it is outlawed. Magic is evil, Morgana. Look what it did to you!"

"Why is Camelot being attacked? Have you ever wondered that? Have you ever wondered why it is that the attacks started _after_ the Great Purge? Why did Uther kill so many innocent people, and for no apparent reason. It was because of your birth."

"Stop it," Arthur said, anger rising.

"You were born of magic, Arthur. Ygraine could not produce an offspring, so Uther asked Nimueh to grant him a child. He knew the price he would have to pay for a child, yet he went through with it anyways. He killed Ygraine, and _that_ is why he said for so many years that magic was evil. He did not want the blame of your mother's death on his shoulders."

"_I said, stop it!_" Arthur shouted.

"I told you nothing but the truth Arthur. The truth hurts, doesn't it?" Morgana sneered, retreating back into a corner of the cell and curling into a ball, returning to sleep.

Arthur looked angrily at her still form, then slammed the observation grate shut, storming out of the dungeons, trying to dismiss what she said.

But her words stayed with him for a long time.

Merlin was in Arthur's chambers, preparing the king's breakfast, when the doors to the chambers opened and slammed close. He looked up to see Arthur with rage etched into his face. He walked briskly to his desk and started pacing quickly in front of it, hands on his hips.

"Arthur?"

No response.

"Arthur?" Merlin asked again.

"What?" Arthur asked angrily, stopping to look at Merlin.

"Your breakfast is ready," Merlin suggested, nodding his head in the direction of the food.

"I'm not hungry," Arthur said, returning to his pacing.

"Not hungry? Who are you and what have you done with King Arthur?" Merlin said jokingly

"Merlin, I'm trying to think. Can you just be quiet for one moment!" Arthur said angrily.

"All right then," Merlin mumbled, moving over to the bed.

Merlin began to collect sheets from the bed and started folding them. After several minutes, he carried a bundle of sheets and blankets downstairs to be washed. He went back and forth throughout the castle for a long part of the morning, trying to finish his duties as quickly as possible. After several hours, Merlin was finally finished. He moved to the doors of the chambers and reached out to open them.

"Merlin."

Merlin, arm frozen in mid-air, turned to look at Arthur.

"Yes, sire?"

"What do you think of magic?" Arthur asked seriously.

Merlin stood frozen, shocked by Arthur's sudden question. He slowly lowered his arm to his side and looked at Arthur for a long moment. Arthur sat at his desk, elbows propped up, chin resting on his interlocked hands.

"What do you mean?" he asked nervously.

"Do you think it is evil?" Arthur asked, face grave.

Merlin thought of a suitable reply, then said, "There are people who use magic for evil, yes. But I do not believe that everyone who practices it is a criminal."

"Many attempts have been made to undermine the kingdom, and there have been countless attacks on our villages, patrols, and even Camelot itself. People have attempted to assassinate me many times, and nearly every time, magic was involved. My father despised magic, feared it. And judging by these events, rightly so."

"But what of the Druids. They practice magic. And yet they give shelter and healing to travelers. They use their magic for nothing but good. Even when Uther persecuted them, they did not fight back with violence. They could have, but they didn't."

Arthur let out a long sigh and buried his face in his hands.

"There have been many magical attacks on the kingdom, yes. But nearly all of these attacks were carried out by Morgana or Morgause," Merlin continued. "That is two people out of hundreds that practice magic, and Morgana was brainwashed by Morgause. And there were no magical attacks before Uther started the Great Purge. He hunted innocent people, destroyed peaceful Druid camps, and slaughtered anyone who was suspected of having magic."

Merlin stood nervously, shifting from foot to foot. _Did I go too far?_ he wondered.

Arthur sat in silence, face still in his hands. After a while, he looked up and rubbed his temples, deep in thought.

"Maybe my father wasn't entirely correct..." he said quietly. Merlin felt a surge of excitement at these words. Arthur looked over at Merlin, who was still standing at the door.

"I need to think. You are dismissed," he said, giving no hint as to what he was thinking.

Merlin bowed and turned to leave Arthur's chambers. He paused, his hand resting on the door handle. _What will happen now? _he thought, trying not to get his hopes up too much. He opened the door, looked back at Arthur, and smiled slightly.

Things will be different now.


	10. Realization

Later that afternoon, Gaius was at his brewing station creating a remedy to remove warts. A patient had come in with large, dark green warts dotting their skin. Gaius examined the warts as quickly as possible and told the patient he would get started on a cure right away. The warts were particularly disgusting.

There was a light knocking at the door, and Gaius looked up from his potion.

"Come in."

The door opened and Arthur walked in and slowly closed the door behind him. Gaius was surprised to see him, and wondered if he was looking for Merlin.

"Merlin is in the forests collecting herbs," Gaius said, gesturing towards the window.

"I'm not looking for Merlin. I'm here to discuss a matter of great importance and fragility," Arthur said ominously.

Gaius looked at the king for a moment, then quickly got to a stopping point with his potion. He put away his ingredients and vials and took off his glasses, setting them on the table.

"Please, sit," he said, gesturing to his armchair. Arthur nodded at him, then moved to sit on the bench next to the brewing table, then offered Gaius the chair. Gaius bowed slightly in thanks, then settled into his armchair, sighing quietly as the weight was taken off of his aching back.

"What is on your mind, Arthur?"

Arthur sighed and leaned forward, locking his fingers together. "Morgana said some things to me this morning, and I tried not to dwell on them, but...some of the things she said really stuck with me."

"Morgause once told me that my father had ordered Nimueh to use magic for my mother to give birth, and that he knew that it would kill her. I later found out that Morgause was intentionally turning me against Uther, and he told me that she was lying to me. But I had doubts. I spoke to a spirit who felt like my mother, and acted like the Ygraine my father once spoke of. Gaius; you were Uther's closest advisor and ally throughout his entire reign as king. If this was the truth, he must have told you of it. So, tell me. Was magic used in my birth?" Arthur asked urgently.

Gaius sat with his mouth slightly open, still processing what was happening, and what Arthur was asking of him. _If you breathe a word of this to anyone, I will have your head._ Uther had said that to him after Arthur had been born. Gaius was there throughout the event of Arthur's birth. Uther was gone now, and he would not be executed if he told Arthur, but he was still reluctant to break his twenty-years kept promise. "Well..." he said slowly.

"Please, Gaius. I need to know if magic is responsible for my mother's death," Arthur said desperately.

"Arthur, listen to me very carefully," Gaius began. "I will not keep the truth from you any longer. Yes, magic was involved in your mother's death, and Uther did know the price for an heir. A life for a life." Arthur sat for a very long time before he trusted himself to speak.

Arthur was extremely calm when he finally spoke.

"So, magic killed my mother. And it was my father who commanded it," he said, trying to control his calm rage. Morgana had made him question his views on magic, but now, he was extremely confused.

"Arthur, I know what you are thinking. You think that Uther killed her intentionally. But he did not know it would be Ygraine's life that would be taken," Gaius said, trying to quell Arthur's anger.

Arthur sat quietly, shaking with his only slightly contained anger. He refused to believe that his father was responsible for his mother's death. It just couldn't be true. It must have been magic influencing his decisions.

"Magic," Arthur said suddenly. Gaius looked at him curiously. "Nimueh used magic to twist my father's mind. He would not have given my mother's life like that."

"Arthur..." Gaius began.

"I see it now," Arthur said, standing up quickly. "It was not my father's fault. It was magic. It had to be. My father warned me about it for years, and now I see why."

"Arthur, listen to me. I know it may be hard for you to accept, but magic was not the reason for Ygraine's death. I was there when you were born, Arthur. Ygraine was unable to produce an heir, and Uther was desperate to continue his bloodline. He begged Nimueh to give him a boy child, and she refused, because she knew it would cost Ygraine her life. Uther eventually forced her to give him a child, and she could not refuse. He threatened to kill her."

"It was not magic that killed your mother, Arthur," Gaius continued. "It was your father who was responsible. After your mother died, he was so overcome by grief that he could not accept that her death was of his doing. That is why he went to war against magic. I'm sorry, Arthur."

Arthur looked at him in shock. "This can't be true!" he shouted angrily.

Gaius sat in silence as Arthur began moving angrily about the room. He stopped at the table and stood leaning with his hands against it. He stood, unmoving. Suddenly, he yelled in rage and swept a stack of books off of the table. He shook with anger and stared down at the table blankly. After several minutes, he looked down at the pile of books on the floor.

"I'm sorry," he said as he picked up the books and placed them back on the table. He moved quickly to the door, opening it and slamming it angrily behind him as he left. Gaius sighed and stared at the door.

_Poor boy._

* * *

Arthur stormed back to his chambers, slamming the large doors behind him. He moved to the cupboard that housed his dining materials and grabbed a fresh goblet. He moved over to his small dining table and plopped down onto his chair angrily. He grabbed the water pitcher that rested on the table and quickly filled his goblet. Water sloshed out of the cup, but he hardly noticed. He lifted the goblet to his lips and took a large drink. He sighed and placed the goblet next to the pitcher, resting his arms on the table.

_Uther would not have killed my mother. Nimueh must have been responsible for his decision. She must have warped his mind and forced him to say that he wanted her to create a child for him. But if this is what happened, why would Gaius lie to me? He has always been trusted by my father and is now an important advisor to me. Surely there is no reason for him to make something like this up._

Arthur set his head down on the table, very confused. He would never have believed that his father would do such a thing, but, as much as Morgana hated Uther and would say anything to disgrace him, her words had a ring of truth to them; he could not deny that what she said was true. Uther did have a fierce hatred of magic and those who practiced it, and he never said why.

Now, it seemed, his reason was revealed.

Arthur eventually, reluctantly, realized that Gaius and Morgana were speaking the truth. As much as he wanted to believe in his father, he could not ignore what they said. Uther was responsible for his mother's death, and his hatred of magic was for nothing other than to make him think that it was not his fault that Ygraine died.

_Magic. _Arthur had been conflicted after what Morgana had told him, but now, it seemed that magic really wasn't as bad as his father had made it out to be. But that would mean...

Arthur nearly threw up as he suddenly realized what he had done. What he had stooped to to uphold his father's laws. He had destroyed countless Druid camps and killed everyone who inhabited them. Innocent men and women. _Children_.Arthur eyes welled with tears as the realization of what he had done had fully sunk in. By keeping his father's laws in action, he had destroyed countless families, communities, and lives. People who had magic were living in fear of what might happen to them if they were discovered. Arthur wiped his eyes, sniffed, and stood up.

"Guard!" he shouted towards the door, voice cracking. The door opened and one of the guards walked in, awaiting orders.

"Send word to Agravaine. I want to see him immediately."


	11. The Escape

Minutes before Arthur ordered the guard to find his uncle, Agravaine himself stood below one of the outer walls of the castle. He scanned the mass of forest just outside the walls, looking for the person he had arranged a meeting with. Finally, he spotted a figure emerging from the tree line. The figure's dark green cloak made them appear nearly invisible with the trees behind them.

Agravaine had told Arthur that he was going on a solo 'hunting trip' and wouldn't be back until this morning as soon as Morgana had told him about the sorcerer from Essetir. He had ridden as fast as possible and managed to find the sorcerer, convince him to help Morgana regain her magic, and return to Camelot within a few days. Now, the sorcerer had finally reached Camelot.

The figure walked quickly towards him, sticking to the shadows. The cloak blended in so well with the landscape that Agravaine lost the figure several times, only to have them appear by his side seemingly out of nowhere.

"Hello."

Agravaine jumped in surprise.

"Malkallam, how did you do that?"

"It was a skill I learned from Will, an old friend of mine. And please, call me Malcolm," the figure said. Agravaine looked the old man up and down. He didn't look like much.

"Are you really Malkallam, the Sorcerer of the North?" he asked.

"Yes, I have been called that. Enough about me, where is the girl?" Malcolm asked impatiently.

"Right through here," Agravaine said, gesturing to a small door that opened into a narrow tunnel. The tunnel led straight into the dungeons. He had gone through the tunnel earlier, saying he was checking that the torches were lit, but what he really did was unlock the door.

"Wait a moment," Malcolm said, stopping Agravaine. "Why was this girl's magic removed? And why is she in the dungeons?"

Agravaine was surprised that the sorcerer knew the layout of the castle.

"There was an, ah, misunderstanding," Agravaine said shortly.

Malcolm raised an eyebrow at him. "You're going to have to do better than that," he said.

Agravaine sighed and said, "As you know, magic is outlawed in Camelot. She was caught using it and locked away in the dungeons for no good reason." This answer seemed to satisfy the sorcerer, although it was not true. Malcolm opened the door and gestured for Agravaine to enter.

"Remember, you have to put the guards to sleep for us to enter without being seen," Agravaine told him.

"Yes, yes. Let's go already."

Agravaine slowly entered the dimly lit tunnel, Malcolm following close behind. They crept their way to the end of the tunnel, Agravaine stopping at a corner. He raised his finger to his lips, signaling for the sorcerer to be quiet. They slowly made their way to the doorway to the area where the guards sat. Agravaine pointed at Malcolm, then at the doorway, then at Malcolm again. The sorcerer inched forward and peeked through the doorway. He raised his hand slightly and whispered an incantation. His eyes glowed gold and the guards' heads dropped onto the table, unconscious.

Agravaine and the sorcerer moved to Morgana's cell, and Malcolm raised his hand to the locked door, and spoke another incantation. The locks clinked out of place and the door swung open. Morgana looked up from her meditation and smirked.

"Well, it seems the time is upon us. Sorcerer, you are a servant to the Disir, yes?" she asked.

"Yes, I was. And I can restore your magical abilities," he said.

Malcolm reached into his cloak and pulled out a small, carefully wrapped bundle. He gingerly placed it on the ground, and unwrapped it. Inside was a small, glowing crystal. Morgana gasped as she realized what this was.

"Is that...Is that from the Crystal Cave?" she whispered.

Malcolm nodded. "Place you hands on the crystal," he instructed. Morgana slowly wrapped her hands around the crystal, feeling the raw power emanating from the small object. She gasped as her hands touched the cool surface of the crystal.

A flashing of images went through her mind, too fast for her to understand. Images of destruction, fire, and death. She could feel the pain, sadness, and loss of all those that had been wronged by her, by her blind hatred of Camelot and Uther. She could feel their fear, could feel them taking their final breaths as they were murdered by Morgana for siding with Camelot. The faces of all those she had killed, and never forgotten, flashed through her mind. _Why? _they cried. Just one word.

And Morgana was afraid.

* * *

Merlin, who had been flipping through a spellbook, suddenly looked up and shivered. He could feel a strong source of magic coming from below him, and there was only one person that could be causing that.

_Morgana._

Merlin didn't know how Morgana was using magic, but he knew one thing: he had to stop her now, before it was too late. He jumped out of his seat and bolted out the door of the chambers, zooming past Gaius. He raced down the halls towards Arthur's chambers, weaving through the mass of servants and commoners.

* * *

Meanwhile, the same serving girl who had been delivering food to Morgana was now on her way to the dungeons with lunch for the guards. She was at the top of the stairs when she looked down and saw the guards slumped over their table, unmoving. She opened her mouth in shock, dropped her tray of food, and ran off to warn the knights.

She ran as fast as she could through the corridors, wasting no time. She turned a corner and ran straight into Sir Gwaine, who yelped in surprise as they both tumbled to the ground. He was about to say something, but the girl stopped him.

"The dungeon guards are unconscious. I think Morgana has escaped!" she said hurriedly.

Gwaine blinked at her in surprise, then quickly stood up. He shouted to the nearest guard, instructing them to ring the warning bells, and ran off at a sprint towards the dungeons.

He was not going to let Morgana escape.

* * *

"_Send word to Agravaine."_

Arthur had barely finished his sentence when his doors burst open, revealing Merlin, who stood hands on his knees, out of breath.

"Merlin?" Arthur asked in surprise.

"Arthur, Morgana's escaping," Merlin panted.

"What? That's impo-" Arthur stopped, interrupted by a sudden sound.

The warning bells.

Without a word, Arthur grabbed his sword and ran out of his chambers towards the city gate, where the knights would already be gathered, Merlin following close behind.

* * *

Morgana tried to remove her hands from the crystal, but Malcolm grabbed her arms, forcing her to hold on. He began to recite a long incantation that took nearly a minute to complete. Throughout the spell, Morgana had been writhing and thrashing, trying to rid herself of the images. But they did not stop. Once Malcolm had finished the spell, he carefully wrapped the crystal, stored it back in his cloak, and sat back exhausted as the warning bells went off in the distance.

"We must leave, now," Agravaine said urgently. He grabbed Malcolm by the arm and turned to Morgana, who was still sitting on the floor, shocked and afraid of the images she had seen. She had never felt more guilty or afraid of anything in her life.

"Morgana, we cannot waste any time. We _must _leave." Morgana slowly stood up, trembling. She followed dully behind Agravaine and the sorcerer through the tunnel and out into the warm Camelot air. Morgana tried to lock the door with her magic, but her eyes only briefly glowed gold and faded instantly. She turned to the sorcerer in anger.

"Your magic will not return instantly. You must regain your energy," Malcolm said quietly, desperately trying to keep up with Agravaine and Morgana's running. Once they reached the treeline, Agravaine stopped suddenly.

"I'm sorry, Morgana. I can't go any further."

"What?" Morgana asked angrily.

"If I'm seen in these woods with you, I will be discovered. We can't have that happen," he said regretfully. Morgana only snarled at him and continued running, Malcolm close behind her. Suddenly, Malcolm veered off to the left and disappeared into the trees towards a horse he had waiting.

"Sorry," he yelled behind him. "This was not what I agreed to."

Morgana stopped and realized that she was now alone. She could hear the shouts of the knights in the distance and turned towards the sound. She thought she could just hold them off with her magic, but then she realized what Malkallam the sorcerer had told her. Her magic would not fully return for some time. She turned back to face the forest, and took a deep breath.

And she ran.


	12. Change

Morgana ran through the forest as fast as she possibly could. The only thing that kept her collapsing from sheer exhaustion that was the adrenaline coursing through her body. She looked up through the trees as she ran, seeing that it was getting dark. _That's strange. It's only the afternoon, why is it getting dark? _she thought. What she didn't know is that the only reason it was dark was because she was getting close to blacking out.

She continued running, heart pounding in her ears, her breath coming in a ragged panting. She looked behind her fearfully, hearing the knights quickly filling the gap between them and Morgana. She looked back and forth for a place to hide; she could not run much longer. She saw a small crevice underneath a large tree and ducked into it, keeping her head low. She sat for what felt like forever, trying to control her quick breathing, sitting as still as the tree above her. Once she heard the knights run past her, she carefully stepped out from the crevice, watching the knight's bright red cloaks flap in the distance as they ran in search of the escaped sorceress.

She took several deep breaths, trying to calm her heart rate, and changed direction to run in a different direction through the forest away from the knights. She smirked as she continued running.

Now she was guaranteed escape.

* * *

Merlin was running with Arthur and the knights, including Gwaine. Gwaine had run into the forest from the dungeons and grouped up with the other knights. The company sprinted into the forest, keeping their eyes on the dark figure in the distance. Suddenly the figure weaved through the trees, losing the knights' gazes momentarily, until they thought they saw the figure continue on into the distance. So they continued running.

Merlin, however, knew something was wrong. He also knew that nobody else knew that Morgana had disappeared. Merlin purposely fell down and gasped in pain. Arthur looked back as his servant tumbled to the ground.

"Merlin! Come on!" he shouted.

"I can't. I twisted my ankle. Just go without me!" he replied, grabbing his ankle. Arthur sighed in annoyance and continued to run in the direction he believed Morgana had gone. Merlin waited a few seconds before he knew Arthur wouldn't look back and got back onto his feet. He reached into his knapsack and pulled out a vial of blue powder and took the top off. "_Miht dagan, beþecce me. Adeadaþ þisne gast min freondum ond min feondum." _Merlin's eyes glowed gold as he cast the spell on the powder, causing it to burst into a white smoke. Merlin inhaled deeply and closed his eyes. Moments later, he was an old man. He retrieved a large red cloak from his knapsack and quickly changed into it.

He closed his eyes and tried to focus on Morgana. Even though Morgana was some distance away, he could detect her unusually powerful aura as if she were standing a few feet away from him; but he could sense that her aura was not as strong as usual. He opened his eyes to see the knights running in the distance, going in the complete opposite direction to where Morgana was. _What would they do without me,_ he thought, shaking his head.

Not wasting any more time, Merlin began to cast a teleportation spell. Usually, a spell of this measure needed the sorcerer to tap energy from a secondary source, such as an enchanted amulet. But Merlin, whose power was in fact nearly limitless, did not need such an aid. He locked on to his target, Morgana and her energy, and recited the incantation. "_Miht dagan, beþecce me. Adeadaþ þisne gast min freondum ond min feondum!" _he shouted, disappearing in a pillar of smoke.

* * *

Morgana had only gone a few feet before a figure appeared in front of her, seemingly out of nowhere. She gathered the few reserves of energy she had and slowly raised her hand, shouting at the figure. Her eyes glowed a dull gold and the figure was thrown into the air, landing on the hard earth with a dull thud. Morgana stumbled sideways, leaning against a nearby tree, breathing heavily. The figure slowly got to his feet, groaning as he did so. They looked at Morgana in surprise.

"How...Your magic is back!" came an old man's voice. Morgana looked up in exhaustion, not even surprised to see Emrys staring at her in confusion. This was just like her vision.

"Who are you?" she demanded, throat dry.

"I am Emrys," the man replied. "And you are not going to escape."

"Who are you, really? I know this is not your true form."

Surprise flashed through the old man's eyes for a second, then he quickly composed himself. "This is my true form."

"Do not lie to me!" Morgana shouted angrily.

"Enough!" he yelled back. "You will be returning to the dungeons, Morgana. You will never again destroy innocent lives with your hatred!"

Morgana stood trembling as the images she saw in the crystal flooded back into her mind. She tried to push them away, but they would not leave her. She put her hands against her ears, violently shook her head and screamed a mind-piercing scream. Merlin quickly covered his ears, staring in shock, not knowing what was happening. He watched in silence as Morgana crumpled to the ground, arms sprawling out beside her. He carefully approached her limp body and crouched down to see a single tear travel down her cheek. He extended a thumb and gently wiped the tear away.

Merlin slid one arm under Morgana's legs, then another under her back. He slowly stood up, Morgana in his arms. He heard leaves and twigs crunching behind him and he turned to see the Knights of Camelot running out of the trees. They stopped as they saw an old man standing with Morgana, the escaped prisoner, in his arms. Realization dawned on their faces as they recognized the man.

"You!" Gwaine said angrily, charging forward with his sword.

"Wait!" Gwaine stopped immediately as he heard his king's command. Arthur moved slowly towards the old man, never taking his hand off of his sword, and said, "So, we meet again, sorcerer. Why are you here?"

"I am here to prevent Morgana from escaping, you clotpole! Can you not see that she is unconscious in my arms? Or are you so winded from running in circles through the forest that you can't even see what's right in front of you?!" the old man said grumpily.

Arthur was taken aback by the old man's strange response. He was about to reply when he was cut off.

"Oh, what a king you are! Always missing what's right in front of you. And never thanking the people that help you, like now! I capture your escaped prisoner for you as you and your knights go prancing through the forest like blind rabbits! Now, when you want to thank me, I will be at the dungeons, returning _your_ prisoner!"

The man quickly recited an incantation and disappeared in a swirl of smoke, taking Morgana with him. Arthur and his men just stood there, dumbfounded.

After several seconds of stunned silence, Arthur finally regained his ability to speak.

"...What?"

**A/N Thanks to everyone who has been reviewing and praising my story. I really appreciate it! Hope you enjoy this chapter!**


	13. The Truth

Merlin stood over Morgana's limp form in her cell, circling her slowly. He tilted his head as he looked at her cheek where the tear had fallen. He stood and wondered what caused her to have her dramatic breakdown. That wasn't like Morgana.

He wondered for a few minutes before deciding to find out for himself. He remembered a goblin spell he had read about after his distasteful encounter with one of the foul creatures. The spell supposedly allowed them to read a person's memories, and he wondered briefly whether or not it would work for him, considering he wasn't a goblin. He decided to just try it, and he did so. Several times. He failed his first few attempts, but, finally, he was successful. His eyes glowed gold and he searched her previous memories, trying to find her encounter with him.

He soon found it and focused on it, willing the memory to play out in his head. It wasn't unlike Morgana's visions.

_Morgana stood staring at Emrys in fear, willing her voice not to tremble as she asked who he truly was. The conversation played out with nothing happening, but then she heard Emrys say, "_You will never again destroy innocent lives with your hatred!" _As soon as he finished the sentence, images rushed through Morgana's mind. She tried to get rid of them, but to no avail. She saw faces of people she had murdered, and felt their fear and sadness. She saw the destruction and pain she had caused, and it hurt her; she felt a great sadness wash over her as she finally faced the reality of what she had done. And it was too much for her to handle._

Merlin canceled the spell and sat back in astonishment. He was previously planning on putting her back in her bonds; but now he knew that would not be necessary.

Morgana was not the same anymore.

* * *

Arthur entered the dungeons shortly afterwards to find the old man standing outside of Morgana's now locked cell. Morgana lay inside on the floor, unconscious, but unbound. Arthur carefully approached the man, sword hanging loosely in its scabbard.

"I suppose I should thank you, but-"

"Ha!" the man interrupted. "Of course you should thank me. I just did your job for you!"

"-why are you here?" Arthur continued.

"I told you, I am here to prevent Morgana from escaping. And you need not worry about her anymore."

"There has to be more to it than that. You couldn't have known she was going to attempt to escape," Arthur pressed.

"I know more than you can possibly comprehend!"

"Yes you've told me that before," Arthur said impatiently. "Why were you acting so strangely?" _And he called me clotpole! Who is he, Merlin?_

"Oh, you never appreciate what anyone does for you, do you?! Especially not your servants!"

"You act like someone I know. Who are you?" Arthur demanded.

"I'm leaving now. Goodbye!" the man said quickly. He began to cast a teleportation spell, smoke beginning to swirl at his feet. Arthur dove at the man at the last second and managed to grasp and remove his left boot as he disappeared. Arthur sat himself up and examined the brown boot. He turned it this way and that, pausing when he came to the sole of the boot. He saw an inscription hidden beneath the thick layer of fresh mud and began to scrape the boot clean. He peered closely at the shoe and gave a small cry of surprise as he read the single word etched into the sole.

_Merlin._

* * *

Merlin reappeared in his chambers and quickly removed his cloak. He reached into his knapsack hurriedly and pulled out the anti-ageing potion. He downed it in one gulp and shuddered as he changed from an old man to his original young form. He changed into his usual clothes and bent down to remove his boots. He opened his mouth in surprise as he saw his bare left foot, covered only by a dirty white sock. He wondered briefly where his boot was, then he remembered Arthur diving at him at the last second. Merlin straightened up, running his hands through his hair.

_This is bad._

Merlin opened his room door loudly and popped his head out, causing Gaius, who was standing over his worktable, to jump in surprise. He looked at Merlin in confusion.

"Merlin! When did you get here?"

"Doesn't matter. If Arthur comes by asking for me, tell him I haven't returned," Merlin said, pulling back his head and shutting the door. Merlin opened the door and popped his head back out. "Oh, and don't tell him I'm at the tavern," Merlin said, closing the door again. Gaius stared at the closed door for a moment, then shook his head, returning to his work.

Sure enough, several minutes later, a knock sounded at the door. Gaius called for them to enter and Arthur came rushing in, holding a boot in his hands. Merlin heard the knock and put his ear up to his door.

"Where's Merlin?" he asked icily, eyes searching frantically around the room.

"I do not know where he is. Why are you holding a boot, sire?"

"I need to talk to him. Now," Arthur said, ignoring the question. He started to move towards Merlin's room, boot held tightly in his hand. Merlin heard Arthur approaching his room and quickly recited the teleportation spell. His eyes briefly glowed gold, then faded, the spell having no effect. He was too exhausted. Merlin took off his remaining boot and searched for a place to hide it. Seeing no obvious places, he opened his window and threw the boot out, shutting the window quickly. He heard a muffled yell at the bottom and grimaced; that might leave a mark.

His door opened and Arthur came in, staring hard at Merlin. Without a word, he grabbed Merlin by the scruff of his neck and led him out of the chambers into the corridor, Merlin gasping in pain and trying to remove Arthur's hands, which were solid as rock. As soon as the door to Gaius's chambers closed, Arthur pushed Merlin up against the wall and shoved the boot in his face.

"I just removed this boot from the old sorcerer that kept Morgana from escaping. Would you care to explain exactly why the boot has _your name _on it?!" he asked, voice full of anger. He shoved the boot in Merlin's face and waited for an answer.

"Arthur, I can explain!"

"Explain, then!"

Merlin searched Arthur's face and saw that there was no way around this. He let out a long sigh, suddenly feeling very exhausted.

"Arthur, I need to tell you something," Merlin began.

"What?!" Arthur said angrily.

"I am the old sorcerer. I...I have magic, Arthur," Merlin whispered, barely audible. Arthur looked at him, not quite believing that his servant had said what he just heard. Arthur leaned in closer and stared hard at Merlin.

"What? You can't be that sorcerer. Tell me you've gone mental."

Merlin turned to face towards the chambers and whispered a spell. Arthur stared blankly as his clumsy, unskilled servant's eyes glowed bright gold, and the door to the chambers opened of their own accord, a large red cloak floating out of it. He stared at the clothing as it floated into Merlin's hands, who showed it to Arthur.

"Does this look familiar? I use magic to change my appearance so you don't recognize me," Merlin whispered, holding the cloak limply in his hands. Arthur stared wide-eyed at the cloak, then at Merlin. Then his face contorted into rage as he remembered his previous encounter with the old magician.

"You...you killed Uther. You killed my father!" Arthur shouted, pushing Merlin harder against the wall.

"No, Arthur. It was Morgana!" Merlin said in a desperate attempt to calm Arthur. But Arthur did not seem to hear him. Arthur just grabbed Merlin and drag him through the castle to the dungeons, throwing him into the cell next to Morgana's and locking the door. The king stared into the cell at his servant, blank faced.

"Don't even think about trying to escape, Merlin," the king said quietly.

"This can't be happening..." he said to himself as he walked slowly away from the cell. Merlin listened as his footsteps slowly receded as he left the dungeons, then pulled his knees up to his chest, burying his face in his arms.

And Merlin cried.

* * *

**A/N Hey guys, I'm back :D Will post next chapter soon, didn't really feel like in this summer, cuz, well, it's summer! Sorry about not posting for so long though. Chapter 14 coming soon!**


	14. If Only Merlin Were Here

Morgana was awoken by a soft, muffled noise. She carefully sat up, slowly looking around the room. Seeing that it was as empty as Uther's skull, she rose to her feet and walked over to her cell entrance, grabbing the iron bars and looking both directions, seeing nobody. She cast a quick spell to focus her hearing to determine where the sound was coming from. She closed her eyes,and, for several seconds, she heard nothing. Then, to her right, there was a loud sob that sounded as if the person crying had tried to hold it in, but failed. The sobbing then continued without pause. She opened her eyes and turned to face the direction that the sob had come from.

"Hello?" The sobbing instantly stopped.

"Hello? Who's there?" she asked again. No answer.

"Answer me!" Morgana said angrily, although slightly frightened. Not a sound.

Morgana sighed and turned back to her cell. She paced slowly for a few seconds before remembering a certain spell that might help her find out who is in the cell beside her. She had just opened her mouth to begin the incantation when she heard a voice.

"Hello, Morgana."

Morgana slowly turned around, staring out into the dungeon corridor. She bolted to the bars, turning to look down the corridor to her right.

"Merlin?" she asked in disbelief. "What are you doing here?" she asked quickly.

"I'm a prisoner," Merlin whispered through quiet sniffles.

"Are you the reason I am back in this filthy cell?" she asked angrily. "You ruin everything, Merlin!" She slammed her fist against the cell door, creating a loud clanging noise that reverberated throughout the entire cell block. Her voice was full of rage, and it's echo carried just as far as the clanging. She wasn't even considering using her newly found magic to escape.

"Morgana, quiet! Someone will hear," a startled Merlin said. He was surprised by her response. He thought all her rage was now gone; apparently he was wrong. He looked at the floor sadly.

"Don't lecture me, Merlin!" Morgana said angrily, but she immediately changed. "I'm sorry," she added quickly. She blinked in surprise. She could not remember the last time she had been even remotely kind.

Merlin was equally surprised. His head jerked up, a spark of hope igniting in his chest. It was just a small thing; two words, even. But it was still a chance. A chance that Morgana really had changed.

"It's alright," he said, careful not to anger her.

"I'm sorry," she said again. "I feel very strange and I don't know why..." Morgana gasped and grabbed her head, stumbling sideways and leaning against the wall for support. She screwed her eyes shut as a massive pain entered her head. It felt like her mind was being pulled in two different directions.

Morgana began banging her head against the wall in a useless attempt to rid herself of the pain. She screamed as the pain grew to an unbearable amount. Then it was over. She closed her mouth and collapsed to the ground.

Merlin listened in anguish as Morgana screamed at an ear piercing volume, forcing him to cover his ears. He grimaced as he tried to block out the deafening sound. Then there was silence. He removed his hands just in time to hear a soft thud from inside her cell.

"...Morgana?" he whispered. No answer. "Morgana!" he said a little louder.

She must have collapsed, he thought. He sighed wearily as he realized he would have to wait, alone, until Arthur returned. And he did not want to be alone when that happened.

* * *

Arthur had sat in his chair overlooking the castle courtyard all night, his mind racing too quickly to sleep. He eventually passed out from stress and exhaustion, slumping forward as he fell into a troubled sleep. Guinivere had opened the big wooden doors to their chambers to find him in his very uncomfortable position and slowly walked up behind him. She rested her hand lightly on Arthur's shoulder, causing him to jolt awake and almost fall out of his chair. Seeing it was only Gwen, he calmed down, but only slightly. He was still on edge after last night.

"Arthur! What's wrong?" Gwen asked in a concerned voice, immediately sensing that something was amiss.

"It's nothing." Arthur said shortly. He quickly stood up, ignoring Gwen's startled look. "I'm going on a ride," he said as he left the chambers, clothed in his simple red tunic and brown trousers. He didn't even bother taking his sword.

Arthur arrived at the stables, selecting his trusty chestnut steed. His stable hand moved to ready the saddle, but Arthur just gave him a look that showed he _definitely_ did not need help, and he immediately backed off, bowing as he quickly backed away. Arthur quickly prepared his saddle and jumped on his horse, kicking its sides and bolting out of the stables. The guards only barely opened the gate as Arthur went flying towards the giant iron bars. Arthur's head only just missed the bottom of the huge gate, but he hardly noticed. He continued to gallop down the path, eventually disappearing into the distance. Little did he know he was being trailed by the queen of Camelot herself.

* * *

Guinivere stood in shock as her husband left their chambers angrily, slamming the doors shut behind him. She looked at the small dresser where Arthur's sword rested in its sheath, then back at the doors that were still rattling from when he slammed them shut a minute ago. She came to a decision. She grabbed the sword and ran out into the corridor, making her way to the castle courtyard. She reached the stables and noticed that Arthur's horse was already gone. She asked the stable hand where Arthur was going, and he just shrugged. Gwen mounted her own white horse, and began to gallop towards the still open gate when she was stopped by Gwaine.

"Guinivere! What's the hurry?" he asked in a worried tone.

"Arthur stormed out of our chambers and said he was going on a ride. I'm planning on catching up with him."

"Let me join you, my lady," Gwaine said, jogging over to the stables and mounting his own horse, drawing up alongside Gwen's. Gwen nodded to him, whipping her reins at her steed. The horse whinnied loudly before bolting forward, followed closely by Gwaine as it disappeared down the path.

* * *

Guinivere and Gwaine galloped down the path for several minutes, following the large clouds of dust that hung suspended in the air. Gwen rounded a corner, instantly pulling up her reins as she nearly rammed into a fallen tree. Her horse whinnied as it was pulled up by the reins, standing up on its two back legs. Guinivere yelped as she was thrown off her mount, gasping as she thudded against the ground. Gwaine instantly leapt off his horse, crouching down beside her.

"My lady! Are you alright?" he asked, frantically looking her up and down for any obvious injuries.

"I...I think I'm fine," she said, breathing heavily. She shakily got to her feet, gasping in pain as her ankle gave out from under her.

"Come on, Gwen. We're turning back. There's no way you can continue like this," Gwaine said resolutely, picking her up in her arms and carefully placing her back onto her horse. She opened her mouth to protest, but Gwaine stopped her.

"I'm sure Arthur's fine. He's just been angered by something. His sausages probably weren't cooked enough. Don't worry, he'll come around."

Gwaine led her horse over to his, reaching for a several-foot long rope, tightly tying the saddles together. He mounted his steed and clicked at the horses, making his way back to Camelot. They trotted forward about fifty feet, the only noise being the sound of hooves clopping against the packed dirt. Suddenly, there was a small whistling noise. An arrow flew through the air, cutting the thick rope that connected the two horses and creating an explosive noise as the arrow hit the ground behind them. Guinivere's horse whinnied in fear, bolting forward in fear. Another arrow flew through the air almost simultaneously, piercing the armor on Gwaine's shoulder. He grunted in pain as he tumbled off his horse, receiving a face full of dirt. He looked at Gwen's horse bolting away, hoping she would escape whoever was attacking them. He turned onto his stomach, gritting his teeth as he tried not to move his shoulder. He was about to stand up when another arrow whistled through the air, tearing his right calf. He yelled out in pain, lying back onto the ground. He was beginning to black out from the pain. The last thing he saw was a hooded figure standing over him, an arrow nocked on his bowstring, pointed directly at his face.

* * *

**Hey guys! (Or guy, depending on how many people still read this) I'ts been a loooong time since the last chapter. A very long time. I apologize for this, and I will try my best to keep this story updated more often, if anyone wants it. Hopefully I will be able to write more, and I will do whatever I can to do so. Again, I apologize, and I thank you for being patient and for sticking around this long. Also, leave some comments! Comments are cool.**


	15. Final Update

To everyone who actually stuck around and read this story, I am sincerely sorry. Sadly, this story will no longer be continued by me. Changes in my life have prevented me from having time to work on this, and I doubt anyone still follows it anyway. Again, I am truly sorry.

If, for some reason, somebody would like to repost and continue this story, go right ahead. Although I doubt anyone will actually want to do so for such a small story, if you want to, email me at **sm598907039 gmail com ** and I will send you the story files.

Sorry to anyone who followed this story. I really wish I could have continued this. It was really fun while it lasted.

Signing off,

Random Guy on the Internet


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